Tensioning apparatuses for occupant restraint systems and associated systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Tensioning apparatuses for occupant restraint systems and associated systems and methods. In one embodiment, an occupant restraint system for a vehicle can include a flexible web configured to extend across at least a portion of an occupant seated in the vehicle and an electrically actuated web retractor operably coupled to a proximal end portion of the web. The web retractor is configured to automatically wind and unwind the web. The system also includes an acceleration sensor operably coupled to the electrically actuated web retractor. The acceleration sensor is configured to send an electrical signal to the web retractor in response to a vehicle acceleration above a preset magnitude. In response to the signal, the web retractor is configured to (a) retract the web, and/or (b) at least temporarily prevent the web from moving inwardly or outwardly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO APPLICATIONS INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/569,522, filed Sep. 29, 2009, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/101,085, filed Sep. 29, 2008, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

This application is also related to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/029,292 entitled PERSONAL RESTRAINT SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATEDTENSIONING APPARATUSES, filed Feb. 15, 2008, and incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following disclosure relates generally to tensioning apparatuses foroccupant restraint systems and associated systems and methods.

BACKGROUND

Conventional occupant restraint systems, such as those used in passengervehicles, typically include one or more webs or belts to restrainpassengers in their seats. One type of restraint system, for example,includes a shoulder, web and a lap web. Other restraint systems havemore than two webs (e.g., two shoulder webs, a lap web, and a crotchweb) to more adequately restrain passengers during impacts that cancause dislocation of the passengers in the vertical direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are partially schematic front and back views,respectively, of an occupant restraint system having a web tensioningsubsystem configured in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 2A-2D are isometric views of a web retractor having anelectrically activated web tensioning device configured in accordancewith an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the web tensioning subsystem of FIGS.1A and 1B configured in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate a portion of an occupant restraint systemincluding a web tensioning subsystem configured in accordance withanother embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes tensioning apparatuses for occupantrestraint systems and associated systems and methods. Many specificdetails are set forth in the following description and in FIGS. 1A-4C toprovide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of thedisclosure. Other details describing well-known structures and systemsoften associated with restraint systems and related vehicle structures,however, are not set forth below to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thedescription of the various embodiments of the disclosure.

Many of the details and features shown in the Figures are merelyillustrative of particular embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly,other embodiments can have other details and features without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, thoseof ordinary skill in the art will understand that further embodimentscan be practiced without several of the details described below.Furthermore, various embodiments of the disclosure can includestructures other than those illustrated in the Figures and are expresslynot limited to the structures shown in the Figures. Moreover, thevarious elements and features illustrated in the Figures may not bedrawn to scale.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are front and back views, respectively, of an occupantrestraint system 110 having a web tensioning subsystem 150 configured inaccordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to FIGS. 1Aand 1B together, the occupant restraint system 110 (“restraint system110”) secures an occupant 102 to a seat 104 in a vehicle 106. Suitablevehicles 106 can include ground vehicles, automobiles, militaryvehicles, aircraft, rotorcraft, watercraft, spacecraft, and othersuitable land, sea, and air vehicles). As described in greater detailbelow, the web tensioning subsystem 150 is configured to controloperation of certain aspects of the restraint system 110 toautomatically adjust or modulate the tension of the restraint system inresponse to predetermined dynamic events and/or forces (e.g., rollovers,rough terrain, rapid decelerations and/or accelerations, collisions,impacts, etc.).

In the illustrated embodiment, the restraint system 110 includes aplurality of webs or belts extending around the occupant 102 andoperably coupled to the vehicle 106 and/or the web tensioning subsystem150. As used herein, “webs” can include any type of flexible straps orbelts, such as seat belts made from woven material as is known in theart for use with personal restraint systems. In the illustratedembodiment, for example, the restraint system 110 is a five-pointrestraint system including shoulder webs 112 (identified individually asa first shoulder web 112 a and a second shoulder web 112 b), lap webs114 (identified individually as a first lap web 114 a and a second lapweb 116 b), and a crotch web 116 operably coupled to a buckle assembly117. In other embodiments, however, the restraint system 110 can haveother configurations. For example, the restraint system 110 can includea three-point or four-point restraint system. In still otherembodiments, a single lap web 114 and/or a single shoulder web 118 maybe used. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to theparticular web configurations disclosed herein.

As best seen in FIG. 1B, the web tensioning subsystem 150 includes asensor assembly 152 (shown schematically) and one or more web retractors154 (two are shown as a first web retractor 154 a and a second webretractor 154 b). A proximal end portion of the first shoulder web 112 ais operably coupled to the first web retractor 154 a, and a proximal endportion of the second shoulder web 112 b is operably coupled to thesecond web retractor 154 b. The first and second web retractors 154 aand 154 b are fixedly attached to a rear portion of the seat 104. Thefirst and second web retractors 154 a and 154 b are each electricallycoupled to the sensor assembly 152 with an electrical link 156 (e.g., awire, electrical line, connector, etc.).

In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second web retractors 154 aand 154 b are positioned behind the seat 104. In other embodiments,however, web retractors 154 can be positioned at different locations inthe vehicle 106, such as to the side of the seat 104, above the seat104, etc. Moreover, although only two web retractors 154 are shown inthe illustrated embodiment, a different number of web retractors 154 canbe operably coupled to the shoulder webs 112 and/or the lap webs 114.For example, a third web retractor 154 can be operably coupled to thelap webs 114 in addition to the illustrated web retractors 154 a and 154b operably coupled to the shoulder webs 112.

The sensor assembly 152 can include one or more acceleration sensors 153(e.g., accelerometers) configured to sense vehicle accelerations (anddecelerations) in one or more directions and send associated controlsignals to the web retractors 154. For example, the sensor assembly 152can include at least one acceleration sensor configured to sense vehicleaccelerations in the vertical direction along the Z axis and one or moreadditional sensors configured to sense accelerations in the fore and aftdirections along the X axis and/or laterally along the Y axis. In otherembodiments, the web tensioning subsystem 150 can have a differentarrangement and/or include different features. For example, the webtensioning subsystem 150 can include one or more additional webretractors 154 coupled to other webs. In addition, the web retractors154 and/or sensor assembly 160 can be positioned at other locations onthe seat 104 or vehicle 106. Moreover, the sensor assembly 152 caninclude different features and/or have a different number ofacceleration sensors.

Referring back to FIGS. 1A and 1B together, the shoulder webs 112 andother webs (e.g., lap webs 114, crotch web 116, etc.) can includefeatures typically associated with conventional webs and safety belts.For example, the shoulder webs 112 and lap webs 114 can each includeflexible segments of a fixed length and/or adjustable length toaccommodate different sized occupants. In the illustrated embodiment,the lap webs 114 and crotch web 116 are fixedly secured to the seat 104(e.g., to a seat frame and/or directed to the vehicle 106), and theshoulder webs 112 are operably coupled to the web tensioning subsystem150. In other embodiments, however, the lap webs 114 and/or crotch web116 can also be attached to the web tensioning subsystem 150 or anotherretractor (e.g., inertial reel) to automatically adjust the fit of thewebs in response to movement of the occupant 102. In still otherembodiments, lap webs 114 and/or other webs may be manually adjusted,static, etc.

FIGS. 2A-2D are isometric views of the first web retractor 154 a beforeinstallation with the vehicle 106. More specifically, FIGS. 2A and 2Care partially transparent left and right isometric views, respectively,of the first web retractor 154 a, and FIGS. 2B and 2D arenon-transparent left and right isometric views, respectively. Althoughonly the first web retractor 154 a is shown in FIGS. 2A-2D, the firstand second web retractors 154 a and 154 b can be at least generallysimilar in structure and function.

Referring to FIGS. 2A-2D together, the first web retractor 154 aincludes a base or mounting bracket 160 that is fixedly attached to thevehicle 106 (e.g., a frame of the seat 104 of FIGS. 1A and 1B, a vehicleframe, a vehicle mount, etc.) and provides a secure base for thecomponents of the web retractor. A spool 162 is carried by and rotatablymounted to the base 160. The spool 162 is configured to receive a web orbelt (e.g., the first shoulder web 112 a) and wind and unwind thewebbing during normal operation, as well as lock the webbing in place inthe event of a sudden dynamic event to prevent the webbing from beingreleased from the spool. The first web retractor 154 a can also includean actuator 170 (e.g., a DC electric motor, linear motor, rotary motor,etc.) to control operation of the spool 162. In other embodiments, theactuator 170 can include other suitable electrical, mechanical,pneumatic, hydraulic, and/or electromechanical devices in addition to,or in lieu of, the DC motor in the illustrated embodiment.

The spool 162 is fixedly attached to a rotating shaft 164 having (a) afirst end 165 a operably coupled to a gear assembly 166 (FIG. 2A), and(b) a second end 165 b operably coupled to a locking wheel 168 (FIG.2C). The gear assembly 166 can include, for example, one or more gears167 positioned to provide a gear reduction for increased torque betweenthe actuator 170 and the shaft 164. The locking wheel 168 includes aplurality of teeth 169 spaced about a perimeter thereof. The first webretractor 154 a can also include a solenoid 174 configured tolock/unlock the spool 162 in response to electrical signals from thesensor assembly 152. As best seen in FIGS. 2B and 2D, the gear assembly166 can be positioned within a first housing 176 a, the solenoid 174 canbe positioned within a second housing 176 b, and the locking wheel 168can be positioned within a third housing 176 c.

In operation, the first web retractor 154 a is configured to adapt ormodulate the tension of the restraint system 110 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) inresponse to a detected predetermined event by activating the spool 162and winding up, locking, or paying out the webbing (e.g., the firstshoulder web 112 a). More specifically, the sensor(s) 153 of the sensorassembly 152 (FIG. 1B) can sense a vehicle acceleration above a presetmagnitude (e.g., during a rollover, impact, collision, rapiddeceleration or acceleration, etc.). The sensor assembly 152 sends acorresponding electrical signal to the first web retractor 154 a via thelink 156. The actuator 170 responds to the signal by rotating the spool162 and retracting the first shoulder web 112 a in the direction ofarrow A to tension the shoulder web. In some instances, the electricalsignal can also energize the solenoid 174 and cause the teeth 169 of thelocking wheel 168 to engage an engagement structure 178 (as best seen inFIG. 2C) and prevent the spool 162 from rotating. This can prevent thespool 162 from paying out any webbing during the event. After thepredetermined event, the actuator 170 can rotate the spool 162 in theother direction and extend the first shoulder web 112 a in a directionopposite to the arrow A to reduce and/or restore the pre-event tensionof the first shoulder web 112 a. In this manner, the first web retractor154 a (as well as the other web retractors 154) can repeatedly increaseand decrease the tension of the shoulder webs 112 in response todifferent predetermined events and/or conditions.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the web tensioningsubsystem 150 described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-2D. Duringvehicle operation, a vehicle power circuit 301 provides power (e.g.,12-volt and/or 24-volt vehicle power) to the sensor assembly 152. In theillustrated embodiment, the sensor assembly 152 can include an X-axissensor 310 a for sensing vehicle accelerations in the fore/aft or Xdirection, a Y-axis sensor 310 b for sensing vehicle accelerations inthe left/right or Y direction, and a Z-axis sensor 310 c for sensingvehicle accelerations in the vertical or Z direction. The sensors 310a-c are operably coupled to a processor 312 and memory 314, andconfigured to send corresponding acceleration information to theprocessor 312. In operation, the processor 312 can process theinformation in accordance with computer-readable instructions stored onthe memory 314. More specifically, the processor 312 can determine ifthe acceleration(s) exceed a preset magnitude and, if so, the processor312 can send a corresponding signal to the web retractor 154 via anactivation circuit 316. The components of the subsystem 150 can beoperably coupled to each other with wired, wireless, fiber optic, and/orother links to control operation of the subsystem 150.

During normal vehicle operation, the activation circuit 316 disables thesensor assembly 152 and the web retractor 154. When the vehicleexperiences an acceleration of above a predetermined magnitude in the X,Y, and/or Z direction (e.g., during a rollover), the sensor assembly 152activates the activation circuit 316 and transmits an electrical signalto the web retractor 154 via the link 156. As described above, theelectrical signal causes the web retractor 154 to at least temporarilylock the spool 162 (FIG. 2A) and prevent further extension of the web112 a. After the duration of the event, or if the forces associated withthe predetermined event decreases, the sensor assembly 152 can notifythe web retractor 154 to adjust (e.g., increase or decrease), and/orrestore the tension to the attached web 112 a. In the illustratedembodiment, for example, the web retractor 154 remains locked for apreset time or until a reset switch 318 deactivates the activationcircuit 316, de-energizing the web retractor 154. The reset switch 318can include a position sensor 320 operably coupled to the web retractor154.

In other embodiments, the web tensioning subsystem 150 can includedifferent features and/or have a different configuration. For example,although the web tensioning subsystem 150 illustrated in FIG. 3 showsthe components of the device operably coupled to each other, one skilledin the art will appreciate that a number of the components of thesubsystem 150 may be combined or included in a single component.

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate a portion of an occupant restraint system 210including a web tensioning subsystem 250 configured in accordance withanother embodiment of the disclosure. More specifically, FIG. 4A is aback view of the occupant restraint system 210 and web tensioningsubsystem 250. The restraint system 210 also includes a plurality ofwebs or belts (only two shoulder webs 212 a and 212 b are shown)extending around the occupant 202 to releasably secure the occupant 202to a seat 204 in a vehicle 206. In the illustrated embodiment, forexample, restraint system 210 is a five-point restraint system generallysimilar to the restraint system 110 described above with reference toFIGS. 1A and 1B). The web tensioning subsystem 250 can include, forexample, two web retractors 254 having electrically activated webtensioning devices and a sensor assembly (not shown). In the illustratedembodiment, the web retractors 254 are fixedly attached to a frame ofthe seat 204.

FIGS. 4B and 4C are left and right isometric views, respectively, of oneof the web retractors 254 before installation with the seat 204. The webretractors 254 can be generally similar to the web retractors 154described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-2D, and can function ingenerally the same way.

The web tensioning subsystems 150 and 250 described above can beconfigured to provide different amounts of tension to the correspondingwebs (e.g., the shoulder webs 112) based on different correspondingpredetermined events. For example, the web retractors 154 a-b canpartially and/or fully retract the shoulder webs 112 to providedifferent amounts of tension. By way of illustration, when the webtensioning subsystem 150 is employed in an automobile, the webtensioning subsystem 150 can tension the shoulder webs 112 with a firstforce in response to driving the automobile on rough or uneven terrain.After the rough terrain, the web tensioning subsystem 150 can restorethe shoulder webs 112 to their original tensions. If the automobilerolls over or is in an accident, however, the web tensioning subsystem150 can provide a second force greater than the first force, to restrainthe occupant 102 in the seat 104. Moreover, instead of providingdiscrete amounts of tension, in other embodiments, the web tensioningsubsystem 150 can provide an amount of tension that is proportional tothe severity of the predetermined event.

One advantage of the restraint systems and associated web tensioningsubsystems described above and disclosed herein is that they can securean occupant in their seat when the vehicle experiences a rapiddeceleration, acceleration, impact, collision, rollover, etc. Anotheradvantage of the tensioning apparatuses described above is that they canadjust the tension of the attached webs in response to differentpredetermined events, and restore the webs to their original tensionafter the predetermined events. A further advantage of the tensioningapparatuses described above is that they can repeatedly adjust thetension of the attached webs in response to the different predeterminedevents.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodimentshave been described herein for purposes of illustration, but thatvarious modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit andscope of the various embodiments of the disclosure. For example, theoccupant restraint systems described above with reference to FIGS. 1-4Cmay have different configurations and/or include different features.Moreover, specific elements of any of the foregoing embodiments can becombined or substituted for elements in other embodiments. For example,the occupant restraint systems described in the context of specificvehicles (e.g., automobile or aircraft systems) can be implemented in anumber of other types of vehicles (e.g., non-automobile or non-aircraftsystems). Certain aspects of the disclosure are accordingly not limitedto automobile or aircraft systems. Furthermore, while advantagesassociated with certain embodiments of the disclosure have beendescribed in the context of these embodiments, other embodiments mayalso exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarilyexhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the invention.Accordingly, the disclosure is not limited, except as by the appendedclaims.

I/we claim:
 1. An occupant restraint system for use in a vehicle, the occupant restraint system comprising: a plurality of elongate webs configured to extend across at least a portion of an occupant seated in a seat carried by a vehicle; a first electrically actuated web retractor operably coupled to a proximal end portion of one of the webs; a second electrically actuated web retractor operably coupled to a proximal end portion of another one of the webs, wherein the first and second web retractors are configured to automatically wind and unwind the respective webs; and a sensor assembly electrically coupled to the first and second electrically actuated web retractors, wherein the sensor assembly includes one or more acceleration sensors configured to sense vehicle accelerations and decelerations in one or more directions, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to send electrical signals to the first and second web retractors in response to a dynamic event resulting in a vehicle acceleration above a predetermined threshold value, and wherein, in response to receiving the electrical signals from the sensor assembly, the first and second web retractors are configured to (a) automatically increase tension in the corresponding webs, and/or (b) prevent the corresponding webs from moving inwardly or outwardly.
 2. The occupant restraint system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of elongate webs comprises a five-point restraint system including a first shoulder web, a second shoulder web, a first lap web, a second lap web, and a crotch web.
 3. The occupant restraint system of claim 2 wherein: the first electrically actuated web retractor is coupled to a proximal end portion of the first shoulder web; the second electrically actuated web retractor is coupled to a proximal end portion of the second shoulder web; and the first and second web retractors and the sensor assembly are fixedly attached to a rear portion of the seat.
 4. The occupant restraint system of claim 1 wherein the individual electrically actuated web retractors comprise: a base; a spool rotatably mounted to the base and fixedly attached to a rotating shaft, wherein the spool is configured to wind, unwind, and/or lock the corresponding webs during operation; a gear assembly operably coupled to a first end of the shaft; a locking wheel operably coupled to a second end of the shaft, wherein the second end is opposite to the first end; a DC motor operably coupled to the spool and configured to rotatably move the spool; and a solenoid operably coupled to the spool configured to lock and unlock the spool in response to signals from the sensor assembly.
 5. The occupant restraint system of claim 1 wherein the sensor assembly comprises: a first acceleration sensor configured to sense vehicle accelerations in a forward and/or aft direction along an X-axis; a second acceleration sensor configured to sense vehicle accelerations in a lateral direction along a Y-axis; a third acceleration sensor configured to sense vehicle accelerations in a vertical direction along a Z-axis; an activation circuit configured to (a) disable the web retractors during normal vehicle operation, and (b) transmit the electrical signals to the web retractors when the vehicle experiences a dynamic event resulting in one or more vehicle accelerations above the predetermined threshold value.
 6. The occupant restraint system of claim 1 wherein: the first and second web retractors are configured to automatically tension the corresponding webs with a first force during a first dynamic event resulting in a first vehicle acceleration above the predetermined threshold value; and the first and second web retractors are configured to automatically tension the corresponding webs with a second force greater than the first force during a second dynamic event resulting in a second vehicle acceleration above the predetermined threshold value, and wherein the second vehicle acceleration is greater than the first vehicle acceleration.
 7. The occupant restraint system of claim 6 wherein the first and second web retractors are configured to automatically return the corresponding webs to normal or pre-event tension levels after the first dynamic event and after the second dynamic event. 